People Of Interest

To survive is to continue to live, to remain and be in existence, to endure and to live through....

Drawing on the direct experience of people who have survived unbelievable circumstances, People Of Interest is a tribute, a testimony to those lived experiences. It poses as a platform for connection from one person to another, to redefine the judgement of a seemingly every day person.

Sitting in front of you is someone's grandmother telling the story of how she overcame substance abuse; someone's mother telling the story of how she survived 8hrs trapped in a crashed car on a highway; someone's son fleeing from a war torn country... People of Interest is these stories, told by true survivors, in an intimate and personal setting.

People Of Interest does not employ a traditional script, set or narrative. Rather, it pulls from contemporary theatre practices to weave raw material from non trained artists through the use of audio recordings and participatory processes.

Collecting stories from true survivors, devised and directed with professional artists, People of Interest has artistic power from the real people and real material that they share.

This work was developed during JUMP, supported by the Australia Council for the Arts, and is in continual development as an ongoing series.

It was most recently presented at FOLA (Festival of Live Art), Footscray Community Arts Centre 2016; and is available to tour.

Images by Jeremy Virag.

Art Therapy

Daniele currently practices as a Creative Arts Therapist, with a Masters in Therapeutic Arts and Graduate Diploma from The MIECAT Institute (Melbourne Institute of Experiential and Creative Arts Therapies).

Daniele has experience providing one on one and group therapy sessions for a diverse range of people. She has particular experience working with young people and adolescents who have experienced mental health, trauma and come from refugee and new migrant backgrounds.

If you would like to book in a session, or learn more about the benefits of art therapy, please get in touch via the contact page.

Photo by Jorge Serra

Daughters of the Floating Brothel

Daughters of the Floating Brothel is a prison theatre project being undertaken by artists in collaboration with women currently and formerly imprisoned in Queensland Australia. The project uses live performance and audio recording to explore the experience of women prisoners through the lens of history.

The “Floating Brothel” was the nickname given to the Lady Juliana – a ship that was dispatched from Portsmouth England in 1789, transporting female convicts to Australia. It was named the Floating Brothel because many of its passengers were London prostitutes, but also because of the reputed activities that were conducted on board and in ports as the ship made its way to Australia. This ship arriving on our shores represents a troubled and controversial beginning: a marker in time to help us investigate the experience of all women who have since been institutionally confined in this country.

This project is part of an ongoing collaboration with Sarah Woodland, Griffith University, Brisbane Women's Correctional Centre and women currently and formerly imprisoned in Queensland Australia.

Suitcase Rummage

In 2010, the idea of Suitcase Rummage was born over a cup of tea between friends. Daniele Constance and Isabel Fitzgerald set up the first Suitcase Rummage market place in partnership with Brisbane City Council, and since then, it has grown to become a nation wide social enterprise, supporting a community of creatives, collectors, and emerging entrepreneurs.

Since 2014, Daniele has been the sole Director of the company, managing and coordinating events in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra. While on the surface Suitcase Rummage may seem like 'just another market', it presents an alternative platform for clothing and product consumption. It encourages practices of crafting, making, creating, designing, recycling, up-cycling, swapping and bartering.

Through the market products are being diverted from landfill, encouraging a revolution of goods and good-will by caring about where stuff comes from and where it may end up; and fostering conversations and dialogue about sustainable and ethical practices. By gently shifting our attitudes and consumer patterns, we are capable of radical change.

Through the Suitcase Rummage markets and business model, Daniele aims to share her passion and advocacy for fair trade and ethical practices, community engagement and civic action and responsibility. She has attended and presented talks at sustainability conventions and conferences, and is eager to continue growing her work activating meaningful change.